SNOW: Ambulance chiefs call for patience

AMBULANCE chiefs under pressure from snow calls have pleaded for patience from non-emergecy patients.

Because of the continued severe weather, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SECAmb) is focusing its efforts on getting to those patients who need help the most.

The Trust’s efforts to get to patients are being significantly hampered due to the snowy and icy conditions.

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While the number of calls is not significantly increasing, the Trust is struggling to get to emergencies quickly.

SECAmb would therefore ask people to bear with us as it may take a little longer than normal to reach people in areas where snow is particularly heavy or roads are icy.

SECAmb has robust plans in place to deal with such conditions and has called on the support of voluntary organisations such as the Red Cross and St John Ambulance as well as other 4x4 vehicle suppliers to assist us in getting staff to and from work as well as responding to patients.

SECAmb’s Director of Operations, Sue Harris said: “Due to the very severe conditions that we are experiencing across the region, we are now focusing our efforts on getting to those patients who need us the most.

“Therefore, it will take us longer to get those patients who have less serious conditions.”